An-32 crash: IAF continues efforts to retrieve mortal remains

New Delhi, June 15: Indian Air Force (IAF) continued its efforts to bring back the mortal remains of the 13 air warriors who lost their lives in the ill-fated AN-32, which crashed in the mountainous area of Arunachal Pradesh over 10 days ago.

Earlier on Friday, the IAF said the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the An-32 flight were recovered even as the retrieval of the mortal remains of the personnel is proving to be difficult due to inclement weather.

"The mortal remains and other material evidence have to be picked up by helicopters and brought back to Jorhat in stages. The weather continues to be marginal and is likely to affect the pace of recovery operations. The recovery team is braving the treacherous terrain and inclement weather in order to bring back the mortal remains as soon as possible," IAF PRO Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said in a statement. The weather continues to be marginal and is likely to affect the pace of recovery operations.

The AN-32, which took off from the Air Force Station in Assam's Jorhat on June 3 at 12.27 pm, never landed at the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Shi Yomi district. The aircraft's last contact with ground staff was at 12.55 pm.

After a massive search and rescue operation for eight days, during which assets from several agencies were deployed, the wreckage of the aircraft was located by a Mi-17 chopper. The wreckage was located 16 km north of Lipo at an elevation of 12,000 feet.